Demdigest: Democracy Events

Demdigest: Democracy Events

All Day – Conference. The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy – 10th year anniversary annual conference on “How to Improve Relations With the Muslim World: Challenges and Promises Ahead.” Events begin at 9 a.m. Agenda highlights: — 9 a.m.: Geneive Abdo of the Century Foundation; Cecile Coronato of the Project on Middle East Democracy; Radwan Ziadeh of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University; and Sudha Ratan of Augusta State University, participate in a panel discussion on “Developing Democracy in the Muslim World” 12:30 p.m.: John Esposito, professor and director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University; and Republic of Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Shaheed, participate in a luncheon and roundtable discussion on “Future Prospects for Islam and Democracy” 7 p.m.: Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.; Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Madelyn Spirnak; Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland; and Saad Eddin Ibrahim, visiting professor at Harvard University, deliver keynote remarks during the Hesham Reda Memorial Lecture and Annual Banquet Dinner on “Building Bridges of Understanding Between the US and the Muslim World” Venue: Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va. Further details: Radwan Masmoudi, 202-265-1200


Tuesday, May 5, 2009. Center for International Private Enterprise and Transparency International – USA roundtable discussion on: Combating Corruption in Russia: Evolving Approaches. Presentation by: Elena Panfilova, Director, Transparency International – Russia, Member, President’s Council for Civil Society Institutions and Civil Rights.


Corruption in Russia cuts across regions, economic sectors, public institutions, and government levels, posing challenges not only to economic growth, but also to the development of democracy, sound governance institutions, and the rule of law. Recognizing the scale of the problem, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a comprehensive national plan to reduce corruption, shortly after entering office in 2008. What steps have been taken so far, and what have been the results? What additional measures can be taken to ensure that the current anti-corruption drive is more successful than past efforts? How is the ongoing economic crisis affecting corruption in Russia, and what should be appropriate civil society and private sector responses?


12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Venue: CIPE, 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-721-9200. Discussant: Andrew Wilson, Regional Director, Eurasia, Center for International Private Enterprise. Moderated by: Nancy Boswell, President & CEO, Transparency International – USA. RSVP to Siobhan Kelly [email protected] Lunch provided.


Tuesday, May 5, 2009. 12 noon – “Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience.” Panel: Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction; Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow of foreign policy and director of research at the 21st Century Defense Initiative and the Sydney Stein Jr. chair at the Brookings Institution; James Carafano, assistant director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and senior research fellow at the Douglas and Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation; and James Phillips, senior research fellow of middle eastern affairs at the Heritage Foundation. Venue: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, D.C.


Further details: 202-675-1752, [email protected]; http://www.heritage.org


Tuesday, May 5, 2009. 12 noon. “Democracy and Security in Pakistan: The Ground Game.” Panel: Charles Cadwell, director of the Center on International Development and Governance at the Urban Institute; William Cartier, senior adviser at the Urban Institute; Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow on south Asia at the Heritage Foundation; and Joshua White, research fellow at the Center on Faith and International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement. Venue: Urban Institute, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, D.C. Further details: 202-833-7200; [Note: Register to, 202-261-5709, [email protected], or online here.


Tuesday, May 5, 2009. 12:30 p.m. – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). “Palestine to Punjab, Bosnia to Baku: A Tour of Security Challenges Facing Europe and America,” with Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Bildt. Venue: CEIP, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Further details: : 202-483-7600; http://www.CarnegieEndowment.org


Wednesday, May 6, 2009. 10:30 a.m. “Pakistan: Countering the Rise of Extremist Threat.” Panel: National Assembly of Pakistan Member of Parliament Sherry Rehman; Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow at the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation; Joshua White, research fellow at the Center on Faith and International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement; Haider Mullick, senior fellow of Joint Special Operations University and associate at the Pakistan Security Research Unit at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom; and Walter Lohman, director of the Asian Studies Center at the Heritage Foundation. Venue: Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue NE, Lehrman Auditorium, Washington, D.C. Further details: 202-675-1752, [email protected]; http://www.heritage.org


Wednesday, May 6, 2009. 12 noon – “Engagement, Empowerment and Employment: Building Democracy in Southeast Asia” with Bridget Welsh, associate professor at the SAIS Southeast Asia Studies Program. Venue: Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), 1740 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Kenney Auditorium, Washington, D.C. Further details: Felisa Neuringer Klubes, 202-663-5626, [email protected]; http://www.sais-jhu.edu [RSVP to 202-663-5636 or [email protected]]


Thursday, May 7, 2009. 10 a.m. Zimbabwe Update: House Foreign Affairs — Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Subcommittee Hearing. Venue: 2172 Rayburn Bldg., Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Panel 1: Earl Gast – senior deputy assistant administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development. Panel 2: Joy Mabenge – democracy and governance officer, Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe; Carl Gershman, National Endowment for Democracy; Lorne Craner, International Republican Institute; Nicole Lee, TransAfrica Forum.


 


Thursday, May 7, 2009, 12:00 – 2:30 p.m. National Endowment for Democracy, Eurasia Foundation and Moldova Foundation host a discussion on: Mourning or Morning in Moldova? The April Election and its Aftermath, featuring: Dorin Chirtoaca, Mayor of Chisinau, Vice President of the Liberal Party of Moldova; Andrei Brighidin, Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections – Coalition 2009, Program Manager, Eurasia Foundation; Mihaela Copot, Human Rights Activist, Executive Director, HomoDiversus Pro. Moderated by: Janusz Bugajski, Director of the New European Democracies, CSIS.


On April 5th, Moldova held parliamentary elections. While the government claims that the ruling Communist Party won 49 percent of the vote and OSCE/ODIHR concluded that the voting process met “many international commitments,” the political opposition, civil society and international observers have noted credible cases of fraud and the misuse of administrative resources, biased news by state-run media, and problems with voter lists. In this polarizing situation, thousands of mostly young people took to the streets to protest the results. Following violence and vandalism of the parliament and presidential buildings, an ensuing crackdown led to hundreds of young people being arrested, scores beaten and some killed. At present, the political opposition is refusing to participate in electing a new president, scheduled for May 5th, thus forcing new elections. Venue: NED Main Conference Room, 8th Floor, 1025 F St, NW, Washington, DC. RSVP to [email protected]


Thursday, May 7, 2009 5 p.m. – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) hosts a discussion on “Russian-U.S. Relations” between Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov; and CEIP President Jessica Mathews.  CEIP, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Further details: : Jessica Jennings, 202-939-2265 (Media) [ RSVP requested.]


Friday, May 8, 2009. 8:30 a.m. – The impact of economic decline and democratic stability in Latin America, a discussion based on new evidence from the Americas Barometer Survey, conducted by the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP). Panel: Mitchell Seligson, professor of political science at Vanderbilt University and director of LAPOP; Liz Zechmeister, assistant professor of political science at Vanderbilt University; and Cynthia McClintock, professor of political science and director of the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program at the George Washington University. Venue: Inter-American Dialogue, 1211 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 510, Washington, D.C. Further details: : 202-822-9002


Friday, May 8, 2009. 10 a.m. – Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts a discussion on “Social Factors in Cuba.” Panel: Juan Antonio Blanco, researcher and director of international cooperation at the Citizen Digital Facilitation; Katrin Hansing, associate director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University; and Andy Gomez, assistant provost and senior fellow at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami. Venue: CSIS, 1800 K Street NW, B-1 Conference Level, Washington, D.C. Further details: Jessica Horwitz, 202-775-3180 [Note: RSVP required to, 202-775-3180 or [email protected]]


Monday, May 11, 2009. Voices of Democracy in the Middle East. World Affairs magazine and Freedom House in conjunction with National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, National Endowment for Democracy, the International Republican Institute and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty cordially invite you to a book signing and reception for a new book by Joshua Muravchik, The Next Founders: Voices of Democracy in the Middle East. 5:00-7:00 p.m. Venue: Heldref Publications, 1319 Eighteenth St., NW, Washington, DC.


Drawing on years of travel and interviews, The Next Founders lifts the veil on liberal reformers from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Despite their dissimilar backgrounds and religious beliefs, each has devoted their lives to liberal reform-and each has paid a high price. The Next Founders explodes the myth that democracy cannot thrive in the Arab world and suggests that change in the Middle East can and will come from within.


Joshua Muravchik is a member of the Board of Trustees at Freedom House and a fellow of the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He has published eight previous books and countless articles in magazines and leading newspapers. He serves as a member of editorial boards of the Journal of Democracy and World Affairs and as an adjunct scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. RSVP to Elena Postnikova at [email protected] or 202-747-7038.


The Source